The Legendary Rev. Dr. Mack King Carter’s legacy lives on!

Rev_-Dr_-Mack-King-Carter-3The Legendary Rev. Dr. Mack King Carter’s legacy lives on!

By Staff Writer

     Most of our communities are fragmented and at odds within themselves. Social services, education, health care, business and faith-based each sector lives within their own worlds. We are challenged to live with our aggregated existence.

Additionally, urban communities are dramatically impacted by social economic deprivation, thus, leaving the individual man or woman struggling to survive in the tension between heaven and earth. As a result, individuals longing for connection end up marginalized, with their gifts overlooked and their potential contributions lost.

Mount Olive Development Corporation (MODCO) is an instrument that God has chosen to change the existing context of this community from one of deficiencies, deficits and depression to one of hospitality, healing, and hope. MODCO’s core competency is it’s ability to serve the least, the lost and often times left out. MODCO is God’s means of fulfilling the Isaiah 61 directive for community service.

After writing “A Quest For Freedom”, Dr. Mack King Carter’s Leadership gave birth to MODCO in 1994. MODCO is a faith based community development corporation multifaceted ministry of the New Mount Olive Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

MODCO’s mission “from the pulpit to the pavement”, is to revitalize urban communities by providing strategic programs that promote economic development, create jobs and focus on strengthening families through Human Services, Affordable Housing, and Entrepreneurial Ventures.

MODCO has been established as a leading agency in South Florida confronting various socio-spiritual challenges.

The vision that God gave Dr. Mack King Carter to create MODCO as the vehicle for transforming urban communities has been fruitful.. Since its inception, MODCO has served over 85,243 families and has been very involved in HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention training initiatives in South Florida for the past 15 years.

“We feel that stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS, reducing recidivism and creating jobs is paramount to the sustainability of our communities,” said Sharon Bryant.

Some of MODCO’s services to low-income families has included; Pre and Post Release Mentoring, Housing, Job Placement and Training, HOPWA Case Management, summer camps, after school programs and various other support ser-vices.

Additionally, MODCO has; built one single family house in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, rehabilitated two, two story apartment dwellings totaling 17 units, work through a strategic partnership with Bank Atlantic to build a home-buyers club of over a 175 members and has provided homeownership opportunities to over 65 families since 2005.

MODCO has provided summer employment to over 85 youth since 2005, through the Student Education through Arts Training (SEAT) camp designed to educate students in the core subjects of math, reading writing, science, technology and history through various arts disciplines to include: Improvisational Vocal Study, Music Production, Commercial Production, Drama and Dance. In 2008 this program was expanded to a year round after school program which included a partnership with the youth ministry of the New Mount Olive Baptist Church to provide Entrepreneurial training and development to over 112 youth through a Youth Entrepreneurial Program/T-Shirt De-sign Business (YEP). MODCO has provided sexual assault, HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention, through educational seminars to over 20,123 individuals since 1999.

In 2007,MODCO in conjunction with the New Mount Olive Baptist Church Prison Ministry began an ex-offender mentoring program that has provided mentoring to over 427 ex-offenders.

On Aug. 30 MODCO hosted “A Noble Fete”, MODCO’s 20 Year Anniversary Celebration and Tribute to the Life and Legacy of Dr. Mack King Carter. The evening was filled with food, fun and fellowship. It was graced with the presence of Mrs. Patricia Carter and the Carter Family.  It was a true night of community.

Over 405 individuals participated in this historical moment. This evening was dedicated to Dr. Mack King Carter.

Our guest speaker, Dr. Carter’s good friend, Dr. Frederick Hayes, III, senior pastor of the Friendship-West Baptist Church Dallas, Tex. said it best, “MODCO is a place where God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.”

All of MODCO’s work was accomplished through strategic local partnerships with the New Mount Olive Baptist Church, The City of Fort Lauderdale, Broward County Government, City of Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Broward Health,  The House of Hope, Sam & Helen Williams, Eugene & Shelia Pettis,  S. Davis & Associates,  JM Family Enterprises, NSU, AIDS Health Care Foundation, Norman Taylor & Associates, Zeta Rho Chapter of  Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Senator Chris Smith, Broward College, Housing of America Foundation, VITAS, Nelson & Associates, State Representative Bobby Dubose, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc, Omega Psi Phi, Inc, Mr. Damon Davis, Mrs. Nicole Scott, One Hundred Black Men Fort Lauderdale, the Wayne Barton Foundation,  the Westside Gazette and many others.

“Personally, I believe that MODCO is a means of serving God by helping others. It is a very spiritual, challenging, and rewarding work. It is with much honor and joy that I serve as the President/CEO of MODCO for the past 13 years. I serve each day with the assistance of a professional staff whose gifts and talents are recognizably amazing. I am grateful that God blessed me with Dr. Mack King Carter.

He was a profound prophetic and pulpiteer.  He was an extraordinary, exegetical giant from Ocala, Fla. God used him to make me a better person and to give me opportunities that were previously un-imaginable to me. I miss him, his words, and his kindness dearly. I also want to thank Dr. Marcus Davidson and the Saints of New Mount Olive Baptist Church for allowing me to continue leading our community efforts.

“Our accomplishments are many, but we are not resting on yesterday’s achievements when the present is so pregnant with profound possibilities. Our future includes: The Signage of the Enrichment Center, land requisition, a construction project, new partnerships, and an Entrepreneurial Venture”.— Reverend Dr. Rosalind Osgood.

In 2009 MODCO’s CEO, Reverend Dr. Rosalind Osgood, received the 2009 J.M. Family African American Achievers A-ward for MODCO’s work in urban communities.

In the words of the late Reverend Dr. Mack King Carter, “The multifaceted ministry of the Mount Olive Development Corporation is a gift and a blessing from God to the community”.

Get involved with MODCO today by calling (954) 261-4398.

 

 

About Carma Henry 24363 Articles
Carma Lynn Henry Westside Gazette Newspaper 545 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Office: (954) 525-1489 Fax: (954) 525-1861

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